17 Things All Solo Female Travelers Know to Be True

As we bumped along in the car in Lombok, Made and I chatted about everything from the things he likes to do in his spare time (eat good food and chill) to his love of dogs and my lifestyle as a solo traveler.

He asked me if I was scared to go to so many places alone. I’m familiar with this question, and I understand it even more in cultures where women traveling solo is even less common than in the US, where I’m from. I relish the opportunity to say that no, people are mostly good, and the world is safer than most people think or understand.

After hitchhiking all around the world, accepting help, meal invitations, and friendship from perfect strangers, I know that lack of safety is one persistent myth, out of many, about women traveling alone.

These are 17 more things that I wish everyone understood about solo female travelers and the experiences that we have abroad:

Solo traveling is becoming more and more common. Women all over the world from Indonesia, to Kenya, to India are traveling solo in greater numbers and I, for one, am thrilled.

The world is made up of mostly good, hard-working people who love, laugh, cry, and dream. Going to a different place isn’t all that strange or uncomfortable, because we are not so different after all.

It feels so good to answer ‘no’ when people ask, ‘but aren’t you scared?’